Malayalam ‘Jailer’ struggles to release along with Rajinikanth’s ‘Jailer’

Coincidentally, the Malayalam flick, too, is hitting the marquee on the same day — 10 August.

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One-man protest

Sakkir Madathil held a protest on 1 August. (Supplied)

On Tuesday, 1 August, Sakkir Madathil held a one-day protest in front of the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) demanding the allotment of theatres for his movie. He also demanded that Malayalam films be saved from big-budget flicks of other languages.

During the protest, the filmmaker alleged that efforts were on to not allot cinema halls for his flick and instead make way for the Rajinikanth-starrer.

Sakkir told the media that he made the film after making necessary agreements with the KFCC.

“However, the exhibitors in Kerala aren’t ready to screen my movie and are promoting the Rajinikanth film. If this is the situation, how will the Malayalam industry prosper at a time when theatre owners are insisting on a 42-day window for OTT release?” he wondered.

The director also stated that he was holding a one-man protest since no film organisations in the State were willing to help him.

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‘Need at least 70-75 theatres’

Further, Sakkir Madathil said he can’t postpone the movie since he announced the release date a long time ago.

“My project would lose importance if it is not released on the same date as announced (10 August). I wrote letters to the Film Chamber and Kerala Film Producers Association, but haven’t got a favourable reply yet. If such apathy continues, small Malayalam films won’t be able to get screens in future,” the director averred.

Rajinikanth’s ‘Jailer’ is releasing on August 10. (Supplied)

Sakkir further added, “I don’t have any issues with Tamil films getting released in Kerala. But this shouldn’t happen by blocking Malayalam projects. While I need at least 70-75 theatres to get good returns, it seems my film won’t even get 40 since many exhibitors, who earlier agreed to screen it, are now reluctant to do so.”

An emotional Sakkir also stated that he made Jailer with ₹5 crore which he procured by mortgaging his house and his daughter’s jewellery. He said he took a loan from a bank and was not sure how to pay the interest amount, given the uncertainty surrounding the project.

Meanwhile, KFCC President G Sureshkumar clarified that the Film Chamber had nothing to do with the issue and it was up to the exhibitors to decide which films to screen or not.

A theatre owner in Kochi, on the condition of anonymity, said no concrete agreements were made with the team of Malayalam Jailer regarding the screening of the movie.

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Story so far

A few days ago, Sakkir Madathil revealed that he registered the title Jailer with the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce in 2021, much before the announcement of the title of the Rajinikanth-starrer.

He also requested Sun Pictures to consider an alternative title for the Malayalam version of their flick to ensure that both films won’t face any difficulties. But Sun Pictures declined the request and moved the Madras High Court in this matter.

A poster of Dhyan Sreenivasan in the Malayalam film ‘Jailer’. (Supplied)

Further, the production house replied to the Malayalam director that they can’t change the title of the movie since the promotional activities were underway and also for the fact that they are a corporate entity.

Following this, Sakkir and his team decided to proceed with the release of Malayalam Jailer.

“But then, we received a notice from Sun Pictures’s lawyer stating that the production company filed a petition against us in the Madras High Court. It insisted that we refrain from using the title,” Sakkir said.

However, the filmmaker and his team argued that they should be allowed to retain the title since their film was a smaller venture and was already at a disadvantage.

The team also argued that it would be unfair to release the Rajinikanth film with the same title since it features Malayalam actor Mohanlal in a key role.

Different storylines

Leaving aside the dispute, both films have different storylines.

The Malayalam Jailer is a period drama set in the 1950s. It revolves around a jailer and five notorious criminals.

Directed by Nelson, Rajinikanth’s Jailer is an action-packed movie featuring Mohanlal, Jackie Shroff, Vinayakan, and Shiva Rajlumar in prominent roles.

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